The
West Sacramento City Council last week voted 4-0 last week to ban medical
marijuana dispensaries in the city, even though the dispensaries were made
legal by state voters. A number of potential marijuana vendors had expressed an
interest in opening up “pot” dispensaries in the city.

City staff had originally proposed
restrictions such as limiting the total number of dispensaries in town to two,
restricting them to certain areas of the business district, and requiring them
to serve only local clients who had evidence of medical need. But court cases
elsewhere convinced them they could not control the dispensaries as tightly as
they had hoped, and staff then recommended that dispensaries be prohibited.

Mayor Cristopher Cabaldon was absent from
last week’s vote. Council members Mark Johannessen, Chris Ledesma, Bill
Kristoff and Oscar Villegas voted for the ban.